XTAL- the $5800 VR headset

In the summer of 2018, VRgineers, a Prague and Los Angeles-based VR startup, launched its 170º field-of-view (FoV) and 5K resolution headset with a unique and innovative feature called AutoEye.

They practically revolutionized the VR world of headsets; automakers like Wolkswagen, Audi and BMW implemented the XTAL headsets, whom they have been using it for virtual prototyping, design evaluation and other programs. Marek Polcak, CEO and Co-Founder of VRgineers, said “When prototyping a new automobile design, for instance, they’ll be able to see more of the vehicle at once, and come closer than ever to a true-to-life image. We’ve getting ever closer to our goal – which is to make virtual reality indistinguishable from reality itself.”

Therefore, the huge price doesn’t seem that crazy anymore because XTAL targets professional activities like manufacturing, engineering and design.

2019 brings changes to XTAL

Next year, XTAL will be available on the market with all the upgrades done. The new elements with whom the VR headset has been updated transform XTAL in an even more luxurious and professional VR device. Regarding the upcoming version, the company said that XTAL will provide “the clearest, most immersive VR experience to date.”.

”The most immersive”, they say and some of the reasons are…

2.5K resolution per eye – 5K total

Spacious 180-degree diagonal field of view (wider than the 2018 version with 10-degrees

Non-fresnel lenses (panoramic immersion) : Marek Polcak said “XTAL‘s new non-fresnel lenses will deliver a wider field of view and binocular overlap, a bigger sweet spot, and much less distortion compared to the existing model.“

Larger eye box – when the headset will be used by more users, this update of the lenses will reduce the need for additional adjustment

Electroencephalography – sensors that identify, measure and analyze the emotion of the headset’s user

The last new element added is thanks to the partnership between VRgineers and Neurable.VRgineers affirmed ”Neurable’s unique ability to overcome the signal-to-noise issues of traditional non-invasive” brain-computer interfaces “enable them to deliver on the promise of truly useful BCI technology for enterprise and consumer applications.”

XTAL is incredible and ready to bring changes in the VR world. Its latest version will be publically showed next month, at CES 2019, an event held in Nevada, Las Vegas, that will bring together more than 180k people from over 100 countries. Yes, XTAL is worth it if used at a professinal level.